Machine for making and applying bottle caps or capsules



March 1937- A. H. s. KARLSSON'EI AL 2,075,727

MACHINE FOR MAKING AND APPLYING BOTTLE CAPS OR CAPSULES Filed May 17, 1955 5 Sheets-Sheet l March 30, 1937. A. H. s. KARLSSON ET AL 2,075,727

MACHINE F OR MAKING AND APPLYING BOTTLE CAPS OR, CAPSULES Filed May 1'7, 1935 5, Sheets-Sheet 2 6 6 6 a I" a: 2' a I 6 m 6 m 2 J. a L

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20 by M26 MACHINE FOR MAKING AND APPLYING BOTTLE CAPS OR CAPSULES 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 March 30, 1937. A. H. s. KARLSSON ET AL Filed May 1'7, 1935 March 30, 1937. A..H. s. KARLSSON ET AL MACHINE FOR MAKING AND APPLYING BOTTLE CAPS OR CAPSULES 5 Sheets-Sheet 4 Filed May 17, 1935 March 30; 1937. A. H. s. KARLSSON ET AL 2,075,727

MACHINE FOR MAKING AND APPLYING BOTTLE CAPS OR CAPSULES Filed May 17, 1935 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 Patented Mar. 30, 1931 umrao STATES MACHINE FOR MAKING AND APPLfING BOTTLE CAPS B CAPSULES Axel Hugo Sever-in Karlsson and Sven Josef Svensson, Linkoping, Sweden Application May 17, 1935, Serial No. 22,080

In Sweden December 29, 1932 s (llaims. (cl. age-a) I have filed an application for patent in Sweden on December 29, 1932, No. 5154/32.

This invention relates to machines for making and applying bottlecaps or capsules.

5 The main object of the invention is to provide a stamping or pressing apparatus for use in machines of the kind referred 'to, said apparatus being constructed so as to enable mounting and using it in machinesof a very simple construction.

A further object of the invention is to provide in said apparatus means for keeping the plate or strip shaped material from which the cap or capsule blank is cut out, in position during the stamping and pressing operation and for pre- -i5 venting said material from obtaining an oblique position and following the stamp during the returning stroke thereof.

A still further object of'the invention is to provide a machine of the kind referred to and in which the mentioned stamping or pressing apparatus may preferably be used.

Further objects and advantages of the invention will be clear from the following description of substantially one preferred embodiment of the invention, reference being had to the accompanying drawings in which Figures 1-4 refer to an apparatus having a resilient keeping device,

Fig. 1 showing a vertical section through the apparatus according to line I-I of Fig. 3 and having the operative parts in their initial position,

Fig. 2 showing the same vertical section but having the parts in the position obtained after applying the capsule, i. e. after cutting and 3 forming it and in the moment in which the capsule has been completely clamped around the neck of the bottle,

Fig. 3' being a horizontal view of the apparatus, an.

Fig. 4 showing the apparatus partly in section on line IV-IV of Fig. 3 and partly in elevation.

Figs 5-7 refer to a form of the apparatus having a fixed keeping device, Figs. 5 and 6 being sections according to line V-Vof Fig. 7 showing the stamp in positions corresponding to Figs. 1 and 2 respectively.

Fig. I is a horizontal view corresponding to Fig. 3.

Fig. :1 is a front elevation and Fig. 9 a side elevation of the machine in which the apparatus is used. said figures being diagrammatical in that such details as are self-evident to those skilled in the art and being unnecessary for understandin; the operation or the machine are left out.

the supporting means for the bottle I3. Said means-consist of a plunger I03 displaceable vertically in a bore in the bracket I02, and of a support I04 carrying the bottle I8 and guided at its 10 bottom in a vertical bore I05 obtained in the plunger I03. Fixed to the bottom of the support I0! is a vertical stem or bolt I00 extending loosely through the bottom of the plunger I03 and having screwed on its outer end two nuts I01, 15

I08 by means of which the pressure of a spring I03 surrounding the stem or bolt I06, and the vertical position of the support I04 may be adiusted so as to accommodate to difierent bottle lengths. The plunger I03 has a reciprocating 0 movement imparted by a lever I I0 pivoted to the bracket I02 at II I. One end of said lever is connected with the plunger I03 and the other end to a link 2 to which another lever H3 is rotatably connected at II. Said lever is pivoted at 25 one end to a pin 5 which is adapted to be secured in different positions in a notch II6 arranged in a bracket III fixed to the frame II 3 of the machine; The other end of the lever H3 is connected with a slide 9 adapted to recipro- 30 cate vertically in guide-ways" in the frame 'II8. Said slide carries the stamping apparatus I20 which will be described in detail below. The frame II8 has also an integral bracket or table I2I ih which a die I22 cooperating with the stamp is mounted. When reciprocating the slide 0 will impart a rocking movement to the lever H3 and a reciprocating movement to the rod H2 and also by means of the lever 0 to the plunger I03. The movement of the slide H9 is obtained. by an eccentric disk I23 secured to a shaft I24 which is driven by a motor I25 by way of transmission means I26-I28 of suitable construction, as shown in Figs. 8 and 9. The eccentric disk is surrounded by a sleeve I30 having a lower extension I3I guiding therein the upper portion of a plunger I32 the lower end of which is secured to the slide II3. A helical spring I33 surrounding the plunger I32 between the extension I3I 0 and a nut I34 fixed to the plunger I32, which spring is capable of transmitting normal stamping pressures, serves to take up overload arising for instance when bottles having unusually wide necks have been fed into the machine, and be- 55 cause thereof the resistance against the stamping movement have been larger than usual.

The machine also comprises means for feeding the strip or plate shaped material, from which the capsules are cut out, in position to the stamping and pressing apparatus. Said means is broken away in Fig. 9 but are shown diagrammatically in Fig. 8 what will be suflicient to explain the substantial parts and the operation thereof to those skilled in the art.

The material of which the caps or capsules are mademay be one single strip of say aluminium or the like, or, as shown in the drawings, it may consist of two strips I35, I36 superpositioned and moved along together. The upper of said strips may be of aluminium or the like and the lower of a suitable packing or tightening material, as for instance cellulosic products such as sold under the trade-mark Cellophane. The strips are wound on rotatable rolls I31 and I38 carried by a sideframe I39, and are fed forward by the rollers I40 and MI. The shaft of the roller I40 is mounted in a bracket I42 attached to the frame H8, and the shaft of the roller MI is guided at its end in vertical guide-ways in said bracket I42. The roller MI is pressed against the roller I40 and the strips therebelow by means of a spring I43. The roller I40 obtains a stepwise rotational movement by a linkage I44, I45 connected to and driven by a gear wheel I46 which is in turn driven by a gear wheel I4'I adapted to be connected tothe driving wheel I29 on the shaft I24 by means of a clutch I48 (Fig. 9) when the strips are to be fed forward. The upper end of the rod I45 of the linkage may be set in different radial positions on the gear wheel I46 in order to adjust the feeding movement. Movable together with the link or' arm I44 is an arm I50, which imparts a rocking movement to a'linkage I5I, I52, I53 pivoted to the frame of the machine at I54 and driving for instance by means of a ratchet and pawl connection a roll I55, at which the waste material of strip coming from the stamping apparatus is collected.

The machine is operated by means of a pedal I55 connected by a rod I51 to the clutch lever I58 of the clutch I48. The clutch I48 is so constructed and adapted to cooperate with a brake I59 mounted adjacent thereto on the shaft I24 as shown diagrammatically in Fig. 9 that when the pedal I55 is depressed, the shaft I24 is coupled to the driving wheel I29 for exactly one revolution whereupon the shaft will be retarded by the brake and stopped. In stopping, however, the shaft establishes by means of the clutch a driving connection between the wheel I41 and the driving wheel I29 for a further revolution which will result in one feeding step imparted to the strips I35, I31 by the rollers I40, MI. The detailed construction of theclutch I48, the brake I59 and the parts cooperating therewith is no part of this invention and will not be described in this connection.

When the shaft I24 is rotated one turn, the slide I I9 moves downward and upward and all the operations for stamping the capsule and applying it on the bottle takes place. This operation will be described below in connection with the detail description of the stamping apparatus proper, shown in Figs. 1-7 inclusive. In this connection it may only be set forth that the bottle I8 is shown in Fig. 8 in its lower position before the stamping operation, Fig. 9 showing the bottle in its top position during the capsule applying operation.

Referring now to Figs. 1-4 inclusive, I indicates the part of the pressing die I22 fixed to the table I2I. The stamp cooperating with the die consists of two parts 2 and 3, the part 3 of which being displaceable within certain limits in the part 2. The displacement may be limited by a pin or screw 4 secured to the part 3 and movable in a notch 5 in the part 2. Rotational movement of the parts relatively to each other is prevented by the wedge 6 which is displaceable in the notch 'I of the part 2. The stamp part 2 comprises a projection 8 surrounded by a mounting or clamp 9 secured to the keeping device described below (Figs. 3 and 4). The projection 8 cuts out that lap of the capsule by means of which the capsule is adapted to be pulled or torn off in a well-known manner, when the bottle closed by the capsule is to be opened. The top part I of the stamp is adapted to be secured to a reciprocating member II of the machine, as for instance the slide H9 shown in Fig. 9. The portion I I being only shown fragmentarily serves as an abutment for the stamp part3. Displaceable upward and downward in the stamp part 3 is a plunger I2 guided by the rod I3 and forced downwards by the spring I4. Between the bottom of the stamp part 3 and. a shoulder I in the part 2 is inserted an annulus I5 of India rubber or other elastic or resilient material forming by its inner side a portion of the inner wall of that cavity of the stamp part 3, in which the plunger I2 is adapted to. reciprocate. It is to be notedthat when the parts are in the position shown in Fig. 1 the elastic annulus I6 is confined within solid walls in all directions so that it is capable of transmitting pressure without being deformed.

A guiding sleeve I! in which the neck of the bottle I8 may be introduced from below is displaceable upward and downward within a stationary guide I9 fixed to the die I, and has at the outer surface thereof two projections 20 extending at opposite sides and carrying two vertical guide bolts 2I displaceable vertically in openings in the die I and forced upwards by springs 22. The device keeping the strip to be stamped consists of a sleeve 23 surrounding the stamp part 2 and adapted to abut against the upper surface of the plate or strip of which the capsule is cut out, for the purpose of keeping the plate or strip in position as the stamping proceeds and prevent it from following the stamp upwards as it m'oves in said direction to be ready for cutting again. The keeping device is actuated from above by the spring 24 inserted between the part II and the top .edge of the keeping device or sleeve.

The apparatus according to the form of construction now described operates and is used in the following manner.

' A strip-shaped material being indicated in the detail figures as a single plate 26 is fed between the die I and the stamp part 2. The neck of the bottle to be furnished with the capsule is in troduced from below into the sleeve I1 and is placed on the support I04 (Figs. 8 and 9). As the member II imparts the initial movement to the stamp member 3, the same motion is transmitted to the stamp member 2, and the outer edge of stamp member 2 cuts out the capsule blank from the strip. At the same time the plunger I2 will move upwards in the inner of the stamp part 3, the plunger being actuated by the bottle which is forced upward at the same time. The cut-out disk 21 is now positioned so as to have its central portion between the stamp I2 and the mouth of the bottle and its rim portion between the stamp member 2 and the sleeve I1. When the inner edge of the stamp member 2 proceeds downwards along the neck of the bottle, the rim portion of the disk will be bent down so that the capsule will be formed.

The keeping device or sleeve 23 the lower end of which has been abutting against the upper surface of the die I before introducing the strip 26 under the stamp, is elevated to some extent,

' either manually or automatically by means not 'move downwards simultaneously through strip and the stamp, and iskept close to the shown as the strip is to be introduced whereby the spring 24 is compressed somewhat. As the stamp is moving downwards, the spring will be compressed further so as to force the sleeve against the surface of the strip. Since the sleeve surrounds the stamp and accommodates thereto accurately, as shown in the drawings, the pressure from the sleeve will be exerted directly at the contour after which the blank of capsule is out what assists in obtaining a good stamping operation. At the upward movement mentioned above the plunger l2 covers the inner side of the resilient annulus I6 so as to confine it, whereby it is prevented from expanding in any direction and because thereof acts as a solid connection transmitting the stamping power between the stamp members 2 and 3 which will the same distance. On the other hand, as theplunger I! has proceeded to such an extent in its upward movement as shown in Fig. 2, i. e. to a position so as to uncover the resilient annulus IS, the stamp member 3 continuing downwards will act so as to compress the annulus l6 wherebythe annulus will expand as shown in Fig. 2 and-- force the rim portion of the capsule inwardly into a channel 25 provided in the neck of the bottle. The bottle is now closed by the capsule. As the stamp moves upward again, the annulus IE will be discharged and obtain its original form so that the stamp I2 is free to move downwards under the action of the spring I4. The bottle is lowered at the same time and when the stamp has completed its returning movement upwards, the bottle is permitted to be removed together with the capsule fixed thereon. In the upward movement of the sleeve 23 the lower side thereof exerts a resilient pressure against the strip 26 so that said strip is prevented from obtaining an oblique position and following the stamp upwards due to the clamping action or friction produced between the edge of the opening .-formed in the upper surface of the die ready to the next stamping operation after renewed feeding. H

The keeping device may be constructed otherwise than now described. As shown in Figs. -7 the keeping device may consist of a disk 23. fixed to and parallel with the upper surface of the die I to which it is secured by means of screws 28 passing through washers 29 forming a space between the disk and the die to be passed by the strip orplate 26 fed on the die. The disk is provided with an opening accommodating to the stamp which reciprocates therethrough. As the stamp moves upward the strip or plate having been cut out abuts against the keeping disk whereby the strip is released from the stamp and is free to be fed in position for the next stamping operation.

It is to be understood that the invention is not limited to the embodiments or details shown and described since a great many of variations are possible without departing from the spirit of the invention.

A particular advantage of the stamping and pressing apparatus described is the fact that it may be arranged in a plurality of various excenter presses of a conventional type without using any additional means.

What we claim is:

1. In a machine for cutting blanks and forming the same into caps upon bottles, the combination of a die, and means for feeding a metal strip of cap-forming material over the upper surface of the die, of cutting and forming means operable in a single operation to cut the blank from the strip and to form and apply the cap to the bottle end and neck; said cutting and forming meanscomprising a stamp member having a cutting edge cooperating with said die to shear the blank from the strip, a second stamp member, an elastic annulus between said members and confined on one side by one of said members, means for applying pressure to one of said stamp members to actuate both stamp members during the cutting and forming operations, a plunger within said members to prevent deformation of the elastic annulus during the cutting and forming of the blank, and means for stripping the stamping members from the strip of material after a cap has been formed and applied to a bottle.

2. A machine as claimed in claim 1, wherein said stripping means comprises a sleeve positioned about and closely fitting the first stamp member, and a helical spring .surrounding the first stamp member for forcing the sleeve towards the strip of material.

3. In a machine for cutting blanks and forming the same into caps upon bottles, the combination with a die and means for feeding a metal strip of cap-forming material over the upper surface of the die, of a pair of coaxial stamp mem bers and an elastic annulus between the same, means for applying pressure to one of said members to move both members through a blank cutting and forming operation, the outer of said members having a cutting edge cooperating with. said-,die, means confining the elastic annulus AXEL HUGO SEVERIN KARLSSON. SVEN J OSEF SVENSSON. 

